Visa guide · Singapore
Relocating to Singapore: visa categories and tax landscape
Tightly managed work-pass categories (EP, S Pass, ONE Pass) with very competitive salary thresholds and clear seniority signalling.
The Singapore relocation landscape
Singapore's immigration system is among the most explicitly salary-tiered in the world. The Employment Pass (EP) targets mid-to-senior professionals at defined salary thresholds; the ONE Pass (introduced 2023) targets top-tier earners; the S Pass covers mid-skill roles.
Permanent residency is selective and competitive — typically pursued by EP holders after several years of stable employment and integration.
Visa categories worth knowing
The main residence-permit categories used by relocators. Listed in editorial-priority order, not exhaustive.
Mainstream professional work pass. Salary-threshold-driven; raised periodically to manage skilled-foreigner intake.
Introduced 2023 for top earners and globally-recognized talent. Allows holding multiple concurrent roles, including founding a company.
Narrowly-targeted pass for senior tech founders and executives, with criteria around past role seniority or funding raised.
For founders launching innovative startups with traction or investor backing.
Admission to institutions like NUS, NTU, SMU. Limited work rights; conversion to work passes after graduation is competitive.
Tax landscape for inbound residents
What the tax picture looks like for someone moving to Singapore, alongside any special expat regimes.
Singapore's personal income tax is progressive with a low top marginal rate (~22-24% for residents). There is no separate social-security contribution for foreigners; CPF (the mandatory savings system) applies only to citizens and permanent residents.
Foreign-sourced income is generally not taxed unless received via a partnership or specifically remitted. This is one of the cleaner regimes globally for cross-border earners.
Practical considerations
- English is an official working language and used universally in professional settings. Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil are also official; multilingualism is the norm.
- Housing in Singapore is among the world's most expensive in absolute terms. Cost of living once housing is factored in is high; salaries are denominated to reflect this.
Singapore cities on Mundevo
Cost-of-living and salary breakdowns we maintain for cities in this country.
Related terms
Before you act
Verify with the consulate. Search for "Singapore consulate" plus your current country of residence; the consulate site is the authoritative source on current categories, thresholds, and required documents.
Get a tax read. Tax residency, special regimes, and home-country exposure interact in ways no editorial guide can address for your specific situation. A consultation with a tax advisor familiar with Singapore before you move pays for itself many times over.
Build the cost picture. Run the salary and cost calculations for the specific city in Singapore you're considering — visa eligibility is only one of the three pillars (visa, cost, tax) that decide whether a move makes sense.